[ad_1]
MANILA – A police officer in the Philippines was killed this week after a fighting cock stabbed him during a raid on an illegal cockfighting den to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The officer, Lt. Christian Bolok, 38, was part of a team that descended into an arena in North Samar province on Monday, after suspecting it violated lockdown rules against mass gatherings.
“There was a commotion, the spectators ran away, and when the dust cleared, Officer Bolok tried to lift one of the birds, but did not realize that it still had dewclaws,” said the provincial police chief, Colonel. . Arnel Apud said in an interview.
Fighting cocks typically have a sharp steel blade called a gaff attached to their legs, and the bird that Lieutenant Bolok grabbed cut it off with one.
“He was hit in the femoral artery in his left leg and he lost a lot of blood,” Colonel Apud continued. “In a matter of minutes, he died. It was a weird accident. “
The officer was a 13-year veteran of the force and a father of three.
As countries enter the second and third waves of the virus, authorities have struggled to enforce the lockdown rules. In New York, more than 80 people attended a birthday party on Long Island in September, violating the 50-person limit for crowds, resulting in the infection of 37 people and forcing another 270 into quarantine, authorities said. . In Australia, 16 people broke coronavirus restrictions in July by attending a surprise birthday event in a Melbourne suburb, leading to heavy fines.
In the Philippines, which has confirmed 375,180 cases of the virus and 7,114 deaths, security forces are helping to maintain lockdown orders.
Cockfighting, an ancient sport, became wildly popular in the Philippines when the Spanish ruled the islands for more than three centuries before ceding them to the United States in 1898.
While the activity has been legalized in many areas and matches are sometimes sanctioned and televised, the government banned it and other similar events in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among large crowds.
Investigators are still trying to find the owner of the rooster that killed Lieutenant Bolok. The bird was seized by the authorities and was being held in a police station as evidence.
Three bystanders were arrested and several other birds confiscated during the raid. Colonel Apud said the suspects had been charged with illegal gambling and could be released soon.
“We are still in the investigation process,” he said. “But surely someone should be charged with murder at least for the death of our officer.” He added: “It was ironic that a good man who had seen many anti-crime actions was killed by a fighting cock.”
A spokesman for the national police, Colonel Ysmael Yu, said that eradicating blood sport in illegal arenas could be difficult, especially in remote areas.
“Are there people who are still doing this despite the ban? The answer is yes, because man by nature is cruel, ”Colonel Yu said.
Ashley Fruno, regional campaign director for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the officer’s death should be a “wake-up call” to both Philippine authorities and the public that cockfighting is brutal. .
“The world has evolved and times are changing rapidly,” he added. “It is time for the Philippines to relegate cruel cockfighting to the history books.”
